Paraplegia facts for kids

Paraplegia is a medical condition where a person loses the ability to move or feel the lower part of their body. This usually includes the legs, feet, and hips. The word comes from the Greek language and means "half-stricken".

This condition is often caused by an injury to the spinal cord or a condition present at birth that affects the spine. The spinal cord acts like a message cable between the brain and the body. When it is damaged in the middle or lower back (the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral areas), messages cannot get through to the legs.

If a person loses movement in all four limbs (arms and legs), it is called tetraplegia or quadriplegia. If only one limb is affected, it is called monoplegia.

Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the back. It carries signals from the brain to the muscles to tell them to move. It also carries signals from the body to the brain so a person can feel touch, pain, or temperature.

Types of Injury

Doctors classify spinal cord injuries based on how severe they are. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) uses a scale from A to E:

• ASIA A: This is a complete injury. The person has no feeling or movement below the injured area.
• ASIA B: The person has some feeling below the injury but cannot move their muscles.
• ASIA C: The person can move some muscles, but they are not strong enough to lift against gravity.
• ASIA D: The person can move more than half of their muscles against gravity.
• ASIA E: This means the person has recovered normal feeling and movement.

Treatment and Recovery

Every person with paraplegia is different. Treatment depends on how much the spinal cord was damaged. While there is currently no cure that can fully fix a damaged spinal cord for everyone, medical care helps people live active and independent lives.

Rehabilitation and Therapy

Rehabilitation is a very important part of recovery. It helps patients regain strength and learn new ways to do things.

• Physiotherapy: Therapists help patients stretch and exercise to keep muscles strong and flexible. They teach skills like moving from a bed to a chair.
• Occupational therapy: This helps people learn how to do daily tasks, such as getting dressed, cooking, or bathing.
• Mobility: Most people with paraplegia use a wheelchair to get around. Learning to use a wheelchair takes practice.

Living Independently

With the right support and equipment, people with spinal cord injuries can live independently. They can drive adapted cars, play sports, and work in many different jobs.

Scientific Breakthroughs

Scientists are working hard to find ways to repair the spinal cord.

Cell Transplant Research

In 2014, a major step forward happened in spinal cord research. A man named Darek Fidyka, who had been paralyzed from the chest down after a severe injury in 2010, underwent a special surgery.

Doctors in Poland, working with scientists from University College London, took special cells called Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) from the patient's nose. These cells help the sense of smell system repair itself. The doctors transplanted these cells into the injured part of his spinal cord. They also used nerve grafts from his ankle to bridge the gap in the cord.

After the surgery and a lot of physical therapy, Fidyka regained some feeling and movement in his legs. He was able to walk using a frame. This was believed to be the first time a person recovered function after a complete severing of the spinal nerves.

See also

In Spanish: Paraplejía para niños